Roscoe Karns
Acting
🎂 1891-09-06
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Roscoe Karns (September 7, 1891 – February 6, 1970) was an American actor who appeared in nearly 150 films between 1915 and 1964. He specialized in cynical, wise-cracking (and often tipsy) characters, and his rapid-fire delivery enlivened many comedies and crime thrillers in the 1930s and 1940s. Though he appeared in numerous silent films, such as Wings and Beggars of Life, his career didn't really take off until sound arrived. Arguably his best-known film role was the annoying bus passenger Oscar Shapeley, who tries to pick up Claudette Colbert in the Oscar-winning comedy It Happened One Night (1934), quickly followed by one of his best performances as the boozy press agent Owen O'Malley in Howard Hawks' Twentieth Century. (Six years later, he co-starred as one of the reporters in another Hawks classic, His Girl Friday.) In 1937, Paramount teamed him with Lynne Overman as a pair of laconic private eyes in two B comedy-mysteries, Murder Goes to College and Partners in Crime. From 1950 to 1954, Karns played the title role in the popular DuMont Television Network series Rocky King, Inside Detective. His son, character actor Todd Karns, also appeared in that series. From 1959 to 1962, Karns was cast as Admiral Walter Shafer in seventy-three of the ninety-five episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama series, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper in the title role of a United States Navy physician, and Abby Dalton as nurse Martha Hale. His final film was another Hawks comedy, Man's Favorite Sport?, in 1964. Karns was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Los Angeles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roscoe Karns, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Cast credits(135)
Mr. Foley
1962
1954
Charley Allen
1954
1959
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950
Ed Church
1957
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950
McCue
1940
Oscar Shapeley
1934
Lieutenant Cameron
1927
Roscoe Karns
1943
Agent (uncredited)
1927
Major Phipps
1964
The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
1923
Irish McGurn
1940
Lame Hoppy
1928
Phil Whittaker
1942
Tweedledee
1933
Owen O'Malley
1934
Private O'Brien
1932
Cuffy
1938
Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
1932
Toots O'Grady
1935
McGinnis
1933
Charlie Archer
1943
Fields
1943
Lasses White
1944
Sim Perkins
1937
Chick Moran
1935
S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
1932
Nick Williams
1935
Man in court room (uncredited)
1935
Shorty
1943
Johnny Dolan
1929
Eustace Peabody
1948
Swatty
1928
Dannie
1932
Jeremiah Jenkins
1940
Duncan
1938
Lt. Hardy
1948
Joe Flynn
1937
Willie Sands
1940
Toby Gleeton
1947
Rep Harrigan
1939
Sock McGuire
1931
Insp. Redding
1932
Reilly
1936
Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
1938
Johnson
1935
Leo
1932
Party Guest (uncredited)
1926
Frankie Gimble
1944
Monk
1934
Blooey
1933
Red Kelly
1946
Gambler (uncredited)
1932
Archie
1944
'Windy' Woods
1958
Austin Brown
1938
Hobie Simmons
1946
Mal Stamp
1939
'Scoop'
1931
Carey
1935
Mopsy
1936
Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
1932
Fred Geer
1931
Officer Carmody
1948
Monahan
1941
Spud McGurke
1934
'Mac' McTurk
1942
Snappy Downer
1933
Bill Delaney
1947
Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
1941
Bud Keene
1935
Jim Davis
1932
Contest Radio Announcer
1933
Switch Hogan
1924
Arnie
1931
Sergeant Heath
1937
Pvt. Terry
1928
Sailor Burke
1934
Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
1931
Dance Director
1928
Sol Levy
1928
Sam Perkins
1920
Joe Drews
1939
Peter Cary
1936
Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
1929
Kangaroo
1948
Hippo
1928
Harry Bertrand
1929
Harry Carter
1932
Tony
1933
Dal Tucker
1920
Gilbert
1930
Cassidy
1942
Buddy
1928
Simmons
1930
Sim Perkins
1937
Stan Price
1931
City Editor John Mack
1929
Man on Ship (uncredited)
1928
Al Devers
1942
Hubert
1923
Clarence Smith
1937
George Kent
1938
Bertram Shapiro
1930
Dale
1932
Segall, reporter
1932
Stubby
1946
Scott
1930
Aloysius Lester
1933
Blair
1930
Bugs
1930
Felix Miller
1939
Charley Grady
1941
Joe Higgins
1940
1915
1915
Henry
1919
Ray Hearn
1928
George
1928
Big-Time Morgan
1943
Calico Smith
1936
Benny Burnaway
1927
Johnny Norton II
1928
1922
Alfred Harmon
1941
Pete Larrabee
1940
Jerry Woodward
1922
Joe Higgins
1941
Patrick Henry Madden
1925
The Sheriff
1915
Henry Warren
1941
The Girl's Father
1915